These brownies with cream cheese frosting are rich, fudgy and full of decadent chocolate flavor. They’re topped with a sweet and easy cream cheese frosting. Grab two bowls and a whisk to make these fancy brownies the next time you need a quick and easy dessert that everyone is sure to love!
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a deliciously decadent brownie. My current favorite brownies are my Espresso Brownies, Red Wine Brownies and Easy Maple Brownie Pie. After making these fudgy cream cheese brownies, I think I may just have a new favorite! I know you’ll love this recipe too because:
- Simple pantry ingredients: You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make a batch of quick, simple and simply decadent cream cheese frosting brownies.
- One bowl brownies: These fudgy chocolate brownies come together in one bowl. They’re so quick and easy to make. The cream cheese frosting for brownies also comes together quickly and easily in one bowl.
- You love fudgy and chewy brownies: If being super quick and easy to make wasn’t reason enough, these fudgy brownies with cream cheese icing are the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Before I show you how to make this recipe for brownies with cream cheese frosting, make sure you have these simple ingredients ready to go!
Fudgy Brownies
Dry Ingredients: Gather your cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder and salt.
Wet ingredients: Gather your butter, chocolate chips, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract
Frosting for Brownies
Gather cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and milk.
Substitutions
Making these brownies with frosting is super simple and you probably already have everything you need. Here are my recommended substitutions to make this brownie recipe if you need them.
- Ground Espresso Powder: This is my secret ingredient to make my chocolate desserts taste more chocolate-y. I love using this brand of instant espresso powder. Feel free to omit if needed.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted “sweet cream” butter in almost all my baking recipes. This is the most common and widely available butter in the US. If needed, use salted butter (omit the added salt) or a diary free butter you like.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: I like to melt semi sweet chocolate chips in my brownies. However, feel free to use chopped dark chocolate if you like. You will need 1 cup (6 oz, 140 g) of chocolate for these cream cheese brownies.
- Sugars: This recipe hasn’t been tested with alternative sugars.
- Cocoa Powder: Any type of unsweetened cocoa powder will work well in this brownie recipe. However, I love using dutch process cocoa powder for its mellow, but intensely chocolate-y flavor. Since these easy fudgy brownies don’t have a leavener, feel free to use any cocoa powder you like.
- Eggs: This is an essential ingredient for these rich and fudgy brownies. This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
Variations
- Chocolate Glaze Brownies: Melt ½ cup (3 oz, 70 g) chocolate chips with 6 tablespoon (85 g) butter until smooth and well combined. Spread across the cooled brownies and allow the glaze to set before cutting.
- Red Velvet Brownie Recipe: Mix in 1 tablespoon (30 ml) red food coloring with the wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients. If needed, add a drop or two more red food coloring to reach your desired shade of red. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. If you’re opting to make this brownie recipe as a red velvet brownies, use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutch process for truly vivid red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting.
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Turn the cream cheese frosting for brownies into chocolate cream cheese frosting by mixing in ¼ cup (20 g) cocoa powder after beating the butter and cream cheese together. Once the cocoa powder is mixed in, follow the cream cheese frosting recipe as written.
How To Make
Ready to learn how to make these decadent and fudgy brownies with cream cheese frosting in a few easy steps? Perfect, let’s go!
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides. Add the unsalted butter and semi sweet chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl. Heat the butter and chocolate until fully melted and well combined. This can be done as a “bain marie” or in the microwave. If using the microwave, heat the mixture 30 seconds at a time, stirring between heating intervals until fully melted and combined.
- Mix in the granulated and brown sugars until well combined. Whisk the espresso powder, salt and eggs until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix in the cocoa powder into the chocolate brownie mixture. Stir well to fully combine. Mix in the flour. Stir well until just combined.
- Evenly pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the brownies for about 25 -30 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese icing.
- Make the cream cheese frosting for brownies by beating the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and well combined. Pour in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon milk. Beat the cream cheese frosting until smooth and well combined.
- Spread the cream cheese icing on top of the fully cooled brownies. If the frosting is too warm or soft, place the frosted brownies in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
How To Serve, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Serve these cream cheese brownies straight from the fridge or let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- To store the brownies without cream cheese frosting: Once the brownies have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in an airtight container for up to 3 - 4 days.
- To store the brownies with cream cheese frosting: Once the brownies have cream cheese frosting, they need to be stored in the fridge. Slice the brownies to your desired number of pieces. Place them in a single layer to chill in the fridge until the frosting is set. Then transfer them to an airtight storage container for longer storage. Separate the layers with wax or parchment paper.
- To freeze these fudgy brownies: Make sure the brownies are completely cooled to room temperature. Cut the brownie into your preferred amount of pieces. Individually wrap each fudgy brownie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To thaw the brownies: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw your brownies is to let them sit overnight in the fridge. Enjoy at room temperature or straight from the fridge (my favorite way)!
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in deliciously chewy brownies.
- Use an 8x8 pan metal pan. This recipe was created using an 8x8 aluminum pan. If you are using a glass baking dish, you may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time. For “sheet pan” style brownies, double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan for 25 - 30 minutes.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper. This helps to release the brownies from the pan more easily. You can also lightly grease the pan if you prefer not to line it with parchment paper.
- Look for the signs the brownie is done. Use the baking time as a guide rather than a strict rule. Signs a brownie is finished baking are a set center with baked edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan.
- Fully cool the brownies: You may be very tempted to frost these fudgy brownies while they are still warm. However, the brownies need to be completely cooled for the frosting to stay on them.
- For perfectly sliced brownies, chill them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before cutting. Use a sharp knife to cut them and always clean the knife between cuts.
FAQ's
Do these brownies with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated?
Once these fudgy and chewy brownies are topped with cream cheese frosting, they must be refrigerated.
How to make brownies fudgy?
Part of making a brownie super fudgy is the balance between the fat and flour in the recipe. The other part is not to overbake the brownie. Bake the brownies only until the edges of the brownie are pulled slightly away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few wet crumbs. If the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are most likely overbaked.
Can I bake these cream cheese frosting brownies in another pan?
Make these brownies into sheet pan brownies by doubling the recipe and baking them in a 9x13 pan.
Other Brownie Recipes to Try
If you try this Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
These brownies with cream cheese frosting are rich, fudgy and full of decadent chocolate flavor. They’re topped with a sweet and easy cream cheese frosting. Grab two bowls and a whisk to make these fancy brownies the next time you need a quick and easy dessert that everyone is sure to love!
Equipment
- 1 8X8 pan
- 1 whisk
- 1 spoon or spatula
Ingredients
Fudgy Brownies
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (6oz, 140 g) chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- ¼ cup (20 g) cocoa powder Dutch proessed recommended
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting for Brownies
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp (5-10 ml) milk, as needed
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides.
- Add the unsalted butter and semi sweet chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl. Heat the butter and chocolate until fully melted and well combined. This can be done as a “bain marie” or in the microwave. If using the microwave, heat the mixture 30 seconds at a time, stirring between heating intervals until fully melted and combined.
- Mix in the granulated and brown sugars until well combined. Whisk the espresso powder, salt and eggs until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix in the cocoa powder into the chocolate brownie mixture. Stir well to fully combine. Mix in the flour. Stir well until just combined.
- Evenly pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for about 25 -30 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese icing.
- Make the cream cheese frosting for brownies by beating the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and well combined. Pour in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon milk. Beat the cream cheese frosting until smooth and well combined.
- Spread the cream cheese icing on top of the fully cooled brownies. If the frosting is too warm or soft, place the frosted brownies in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
To store the brownies without cream cheese frosting: Once the brownies have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in an airtight container for up to 3 - 4 days.
To store the brownies with cream cheese frosting: Once the brownies have cream cheese frosting, they need to be stored in the fridge. Slice the brownies to your desired number of pieces. Place them in a single layer to chill in the fridge until the frosting is set. Then transfer them to an airtight storage container for longer storage. Separate the layers with wax or parchment paper.
Chocolate Glaze Brownies: Melt ½ cup (3 oz, 70 g) chocolate chips with 6 tablespoon (85 g) butter until smooth and well combined. Spread across the cooled brownies and allow the glaze to set before cutting.
Red Velvet Brownie Recipe: Mix in 1 tablespoon (30 ml) red food coloring with the wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients. If needed, add a drop or two more red food coloring to reach your desired shade of red. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. If you’re opting to make this brownie recipe as a red velvet brownies, use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutch process for truly vibrant red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Turn the cream cheese frosting for brownies into chocolate cream cheese frosting by mixing in ¼ cup (20 g) cocoa powder after beating the butter and cream cheese together. Once the cocoa powder is mixed in, follow the cream cheese frosting recipe as written.
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